Rich Villar – Poet, Educator, Editor, Curator, Director of Acentos

For Wendy Angulo, I’ve made the (sometimes distant) trip on the F train and the LIRR numerous times. And I will continue to do so, and support her team, and attend her events. A steady stream of writers, community organizers, educators, and performers have made their way out to eastern Queens, and have brought their art and energy to the neighborhood, Wendy’s neighborhood, and it is her spirit and dedication that have led us there. She possesses a particular respect for artists. She represents them well. She has learned from and collaborated with literary activists across the city. And in the face of doubt and inertia, Wendy forged ahead to bring poets to Queens, to the neighborhoods and people who need it most. This is the tradition to which she belongs: one in which poetry lives and thrives without permission, in the places it is not expected. I am honored to be present, in this time, as Wendy Angulo Productions packs the art spaces, educational spaces, libraries, and (yes!) the church basements of Jamaica, Queens, and beyond, with the poets and performers working to take their places in the pantheon.